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Custom Cake Toppers: Step by Step

Bring personality to your cakes and a smile to every guest's face with these endearing, amazing toppers. Get perfect results with detailed directions and exact fondant measurements.

Create adorable toppers with fondant pro Brenda Walton's tips for achieving her signature sweet faces, precise fondant measurements and more. Start by making a groom topper with tailored pants, four-button jacket, bow tie and boutonnière. Bring his bride to life with a ruffled gown, bejeweled bodice and beautiful bouquet. Make a lovable grandma holding a cake she's ready to serve and a jovial grandpa wearing comfortable khakis and a dress shirt. Create a daydreaming little girl with a fun sash and frilled accents on her dress. Plus, learn how Brenda makes her figures even more impressive with shading and painted details. Add personalized toppers to your cakes and show guests of honor just how special they are.

Lesson plan

23:41

Lesson 1. The Groom's Body

Meet your instructor, Brenda Walton, as you preview the five delightful figures you’ll make in this class. Then, jump right in and start constructing your groom! Brenda will share with you her method for creating all of her toppers, from working with fondant to weighing out each element to ensure everything is in scale. Get tips on doweling and creating custom figures as well!

24:15

Lesson 2. The Bride's Body

Now that the body of your groom is done, it’s time to focus on the bride! In this lesson, you’ll cut, frill and attach each ruffle on her dress. You won’t believe how you can create this amazing effect using a scalloped circle cutter and a toothpick! Then, you’ll make the bride’s bodice, neck and shoulders and shape her arms and hands with delicate detail.

22:45

Lesson 3. The Bride & Groom: Embellishing the Figures

Get a workout in fine handwork as you add dragée beading and a scalloped, ruffled neckline to the bridal gown and make a tiny bridal bouquet with hand-cut and shaped flowers and greenery. Then turn your focus back to the groom as you add his bow tie and collar as well as tiny shirt buttons.

27:57

Lesson 4. The Bride & Groom: Final Details

Your figures will come to life as you complete these finishing details! Form their heads and faces as Brenda shows you how to add shiny eyes and luscious lips. Learn two different hairstyles — a men’s cut as well as a bridal up-do — and then add shading and coloring to both figures. Pearl earrings for her and a boutonnière for him and this pair will be ready to walk down the aisle!

31:04

Lesson 5. Sweet Grandma

Fast forward on your happy couple 50 years and you’ve got your next set of figures, a sweet grandma and grandpa. In this lesson, you’ll build on your experience with figure modeling to create all of the details that make this grandma so special: her red patten-leather shoes, ruffled skirt, frilly apron and even her wire eyeglasses. Finally, add the finishing touches: shading, an eyelet lace collar and even a cake for grandpa!

20:26

Lesson 6. Smiling Grandpa

Meet grandpa, wearing in his trademark khakis and button-down shirt. You’ll learn how to create shirt cuffs, a button placket and even his potbelly. Brenda demonstrates how to make faces more mature and how to create teeth and shape hands with fingers!

22:27

Lesson 7. Cheery Little Girl

In your final lesson, discover how to make a figure lying down as you create Brenda’s darling little girl, complete with pigtails and sparkly sash! You’ll be amazed how quickly this figure comes together as you build her on her stomach, propped up on her elbows. Add more ruffled detailing and learn how to customize eye color. Then, Brenda walks you through how you can quickly turn your beautiful girl into a dashing boy as you change the hair, clothing and other details.

"Brenda is amazing, very precise with the measurements and details, I love the class." - Claudia S.Virginia

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Lesson plan

23:41

Lesson 1. The Groom's Body

Meet your instructor, Brenda Walton, as you preview the five delightful figures you’ll make in this class. Then, jump right in and start constructing your groom! Brenda will share with you her method for creating all of her toppers, from working with fondant to weighing out each element to ensure everything is in scale. Get tips on doweling and creating custom figures as well!

24:15

Lesson 2. The Bride's Body

Now that the body of your groom is done, it’s time to focus on the bride! In this lesson, you’ll cut, frill and attach each ruffle on her dress. You won’t believe how you can create this amazing effect using a scalloped circle cutter and a toothpick! Then, you’ll make the bride’s bodice, neck and shoulders and shape her arms and hands with delicate detail.

22:45

Lesson 3. The Bride & Groom: Embellishing the Figures

Get a workout in fine handwork as you add dragée beading and a scalloped, ruffled neckline to the bridal gown and make a tiny bridal bouquet with hand-cut and shaped flowers and greenery. Then turn your focus back to the groom as you add his bow tie and collar as well as tiny shirt buttons.

27:57

Lesson 4. The Bride & Groom: Final Details

Your figures will come to life as you complete these finishing details! Form their heads and faces as Brenda shows you how to add shiny eyes and luscious lips. Learn two different hairstyles — a men’s cut as well as a bridal up-do — and then add shading and coloring to both figures. Pearl earrings for her and a boutonnière for him and this pair will be ready to walk down the aisle!

31:04

Lesson 5. Sweet Grandma

Fast forward on your happy couple 50 years and you’ve got your next set of figures, a sweet grandma and grandpa. In this lesson, you’ll build on your experience with figure modeling to create all of the details that make this grandma so special: her red patten-leather shoes, ruffled skirt, frilly apron and even her wire eyeglasses. Finally, add the finishing touches: shading, an eyelet lace collar and even a cake for grandpa!

20:26

Lesson 6. Smiling Grandpa

Meet grandpa, wearing in his trademark khakis and button-down shirt. You’ll learn how to create shirt cuffs, a button placket and even his potbelly. Brenda demonstrates how to make faces more mature and how to create teeth and shape hands with fingers!

22:27

Lesson 7. Cheery Little Girl

In your final lesson, discover how to make a figure lying down as you create Brenda’s darling little girl, complete with pigtails and sparkly sash! You’ll be amazed how quickly this figure comes together as you build her on her stomach, propped up on her elbows. Add more ruffled detailing and learn how to customize eye color. Then, Brenda walks you through how you can quickly turn your beautiful girl into a dashing boy as you change the hair, clothing and other details.

The instructor

Brenda Walton, Instructor of Custom Cake Toppers: Step by Step

Brenda's love of fondant and sugar art began while making her daughter's first birthday cake in 2010. Less than a year later, she started her business, Sugar High, Inc. Brenda's focus soon shifted from making cakes to creating fondant cake and cupcake toppers. Brenda's heart goes into each little character and creation and she travels all over the country to share her passion and techniques for working with fondant.

Ratings & reviews

Class rating

(131 reviews)

SO HAPPY I BOUGHT THIS CLASS!

by CherylandVerrick Cubol on August 2, 2015

I was so intimidated when I saw the review of this class, but really wanted to learn how to make Brenda's CUTE toppers. Im shocked how easy she made them and with the video tutorial I'm confident I can take on this project. THANK YOU BRENDA!

I was so intimidated when I saw the review of this class, but really wanted to learn how to make Brenda's CUTE toppers. Im shocked how easy she made them and with the video tutorial I'm confident I can take on this project. THANK YOU BRENDA!

Pink Work Mat

by bridgetha3788874 on July 28, 2015

Please can you tell me where you get the pink mat that you work from to do your models.I live in the uk.and haven't seen them over here.thanks bridge.H

Please can you tell me where you get the pink mat that you work from to do your models.I live in the uk.and haven't seen them over here.thanks bridge.H

Excellent Tutorial

by ktcahill8606413 on July 4, 2015

I was completely new to model making in fondant and found this tutorial really informative and easy to follow. All the stages in the process are clearly explained and easy to follow and allow you to gradually build your skill level. The end results were very good (despite my limited skills) and they looked great on the finished wedding cake. I would recommend this course.

I was completely new to model making in fondant and found this tutorial really informative and easy to follow. All the stages in the process are clearly explained and easy to follow and allow you to gradually build your skill level. The end results were very good (despite my limited skills) and they looked great on the finished wedding cake. I would recommend this course.

Frequently asked questions

Brenda gives you step-by-step instruction and precise fondant measurements so you can follow along with her exactly. If you've made fondant toppers before, you'll love learning Brenda's process and customizing her figures to your own needs. New to fondant modeling or need a refresher? Check out Sharon Wee's Craftsy class Cake Topper Techniques: Fondant Animals.